Home on the Dot Home on the Dot

Singapore is a country on the move. Those who can afford to do so are moving up the housing ladder, from public housing flat, to private condo, to landed property. Those who cannot afford to climb the housing ladder – specifically residents of subsidized rental flats – may also be on the move, but not by choice. In this episode of Home on the Dot, we explore the relocation of rental flat residents. We tour Dakota Crescent, an HDB estate recently demolished, and talk with volunteers who helped residents move. We talk about Singapore’s largely invisible poor and their unique housing challenges, and we discuss how “befrienders” try to create a sense of community amid the changes that come with relocation.

When Covid lockdowns began around a year ago, some people joked that homebodies didn't even notice. While many young people bristled at being stuck at home, it was thought that homebodies were glad to no longer attend class in person or pretend to have fun at parties. In this episode of Home on the Dot, we discuss how Covid-19 has impacted young people, particularly the experience of being under lockdown in the constant presence of family. As we mark our first year anniversary of living with Covid-19, we hear from NUS Geographer Tracey Skelton, who discusses the disruptions Covid has brought to children and young people, for whom spending much of the past year stuck at home has meant a loss of independence and a feeling that their lives are on hold. We also hear from Zack, a Japanese Studies major and self-proclaimed homebody, for whom lockdown brought on an existential crisis, as home spaces that were previously comforting became weird with his family around 24/7. What do we lose when we are all forced to be homebodies?

Buying your first home can be a daunting experience. It requires a long-term commitment and a tolerance for risk, not to mention a willingness to compromise if you buy with a partner. Many young Singaporeans buy their first home through the Build-to-Order, or BTO, scheme. These are flats in towers that have not yet been built. Applicants must meet strict requirements and wait years between application and the handover of keys. This birth of a home requires planning and patience. Unfortunately, even the most organized couples may fail in their first or second attempt, thus delaying both a couple’s marriage and the moment they can step into their first home. In this episode of Home on the Dot, we hear from two young couples navigating the bureaucratic, social, and financial complexities of realizing the dream of their first home, and we learn how society’s expectations surrounding marriage and home ownership cause some young Singaporeans to feel left behind in the home game.

2020 brought more than Covid-19. It also brought more time in the kitchen. More people than ever were baking bread, cakes, and cookies to satisfy their cravings for both a wholesome hobby and some sweet homemade treats. This was true in Singapore, where a home baking boom led to shortages of key items like flour and yeast. Of course, not everyone picked up baking during the pandemic. Singapore has a long history of bakers running Home-Based Businesses (HBB) and selling pineapple tarts, almond cookies, and other goodies to their neighbors, relatives, and colleagues. In this episode we hear from three different home-based bakers. We hear about how these businesses run by women provide an outlet for their inspiration and bring in much-needed income. We hear how they have operated amid the pandemic, including how two of the owners actually took advantage of the early lockdown period in Singapore to test recipes and launch their companies. Indeed, Covid-19 has provided an opportunity for these home-based bakers to move from hobby to business.

2020 ended with some exciting news for Singapore: in mid-December UNESCO added Singapore’s hawker culture to its list of intangible cultural heritage. In honor of this unique designation, we return to one of the first episodes of Home on the Dot, which explored Singapore’s rich hawker center culture and shared the stories of young “hawkerpreneurs” bringing new life to what is often perceived as a dying art. We also get a hot take on the UNESCO designation from Dr. Hamzah Muzaini, an expert on heritage and remembrance, who shares his pride and excitement for hawker culture and reflects on his own daily hawker routine. Close out 2020 and ring in the new year with this celebration of Singapore’s open-air dining room: the hawker center.

Love knows no boundaries, but in 2020 some boundaries have become more impervious than ever. Covid-19 has hit couples in long-distance relationships hard. Long-distance love has always been difficult, but frequent international flights and relatively open global borders made it possible. The global pandemic has left many long-distance relationships in a holding pattern, unsure when they will physically hold each other again. In this episode of our special Covid-19 series, Samantha, a recent NUS graduate, shares her experience maintaining a long-distance relationship with her partner in Australia. She explains how they use technologies to share their lives and reveals her frustrations with their unknowable future.